This is a photo of Ed Hatoum, the only (that I know of) NHL player who was born in Beruit, Lebanon. Hatoum played for the original (NHL) Vancouver Canucks, scoring 1 goal in 26 games.The Canucks have been to the finals twice, once as the extreme underdog and another time they had a strong team that died deep in G7, SCF, suffering incredible pain no fan should be forced to endure (I have only recently come to know how painful G7, SCF can be). I always wondered why they rioted in Vancouver on the night of June 14, 1994, but since last spring I understand completely.
The Canucks are dying tonight, bleeding out against the Anaheim All-Stars. It's like watching a snake swallow a frog, slow, painful, and final. I have no real connection to the Vancouver Canucks, although I was born in Mission (not terribly far from Vancouver) and do remember being in the Pacific Coliseum as a child (Jehovah's Witness convention, of all things. Me, as a lad, in an NHL building, in the offseason. Jehovah's hilarious) but didn't attend an NHL game until the Oilers arrived in Edmonton.
So it doesn't really hurt to watch Vancouver miss another shot at the Cup. After all, they have a franchise cornerstone, they have 4 more bullets with Jesus Luongo. Vancouver will improve over summer, they will add some depth behind the twin piss-cutters, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. They will watch Linden sail on, possibly Naslund too. The Canucks team that had a nice run from 2000 through the Bertuzzi hatchet is about to pass from the left coast, but their management has reloaded. I can't get too upset for Vancouver fans, their time will come.
Down the road apiece, the Ottawa Senators. If ever there was a comp for the Montreal Expos, it's (as Bob Cole calls them) the Ottawa Sens. They have been knocking at the door of the SCF for years without really getting there at all. Just like the Expos 79-82, the Senators have a nice team on paper but can't seem to get over the hill. Not to be overdramatic, the time would be now for these Senators. They've already begun to bleed talent (Chara, Havlat) with more to come this summer.
Just win, baby. Because one afternoon very soon you'll look at the starting lineup and Dan Driessen will be your first baseman.
Dan Driessen? LT, I think I love you;)
ReplyDeleteIt was odd but I found myself cheering for the Dys in this one. Not watching it, mind you, because those games were on at the same time as the Warriors/Mavs series and if you ever liked hoops, then you you had to catch those games, but overall I wanted Van to win and that was made much easier with the absence of Dirtbag Matt Cooke.
There are just too many things not to like or to hate about the Ducks. That Pineapple Head Carylye comes acrosss as insufferable, Burke IS insufferable and reads from Lou's "Big Book Of Driving League Policy While Being A Prick About It" and then there's the whole Pronger trade.
I can't feel remotely sorry for Vancouver. As you said, if management does their job the team gets better.
ReplyDeleteNaslund should be dealt at the very least for financial room. I like him a lot, but he does not fit the team's new cycle system. Naslund is a transitional player, and the Canucks don't play it.
I mentioned this awhile back on Ty's blog but Naslund looks done to me. Or at least "done" in terms of he's not nearly the same player as he used to be. It's like my buddy keeps saying to me, "how can this be the new NHL and yet a guy like Naslund got worse." So what's the awnser there? Did Bertuzzi make THAT bunch of a difference? Is there some kind of lingering injury that just isn't gonna get any better? Did he lose his drive?
ReplyDeleteYes the Dys have some D, well a lot of D actually if Bieksa wasn't a flash in the pan, they have the Sedins and they have Luongo. But I don't think they've drafted that well and where are the complimentry players going to come from? There's no doubt they can cause a lot of trouble with that D and RL but in terms of ultimate success? I doubt it unless they really have a couple of diamonds in the rough. And to that end I don't know how they'll get rid of Naslund's contract via trade. You'd likely have to throw in a good cheap player with him just to make him attractive and if the Canucks had some of those, well they wouldn't be worrying about unloading Naslund in the first place, now would they?
I believe they'll keep going tight to the cap so the next increase will give them more money for player procurement all the while further seperating themselves from the Oilers of the world. But in terms of actually being able to win a couple of series, I'd say they're two seasons off for sure. They'll need Naslund off the books and then they'll need to make better use of that six mill
Dennis,
ReplyDeletepretty good assumptions about the talent in the pipe for the Nucks. Living in Manitoba and following the Moose for lack of an Oiler playoff run has showed me that scoring is a serious problem for the Vancouver prospects. Theres some great defensive prospects coming through here in Moose graduate Bieksa, as well as Alexander Edler - a future top-4, and i'm licking my chops for next year with the arrival of Luc Bourdon. Goaltending's also a strength with 23-year old Drew MacIntyre, though he should top out as a backup. Scoring from the Vancouver prospects is minimal at best, so its not looking too good for Vancouver in terms of offensive performance in the future. Looks like the Sedins will have to play like gods until Nonis learns how to draft scorers.
Luongo will be wasted in Vancouver. I've owned table hockey games with wingers more dynamic than the Sedins.
ReplyDeleteLT-nice link to game 7 in '94, and our own recent fortunes. Anyone else think the Nucks would have won if Nedved hadn't been holding out that season? He might have been a difference maker 13 years ago...
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to mention - Clarke's offer of 1.9 to Kesler. Be years before Kesler is worth that kind of cash.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things it really is things like that which cripple a team long-term.
Vancouver is in trouble. Nonis will have to pull some rabbits out of his ass to make this work long term.
Options are:
-- Trade Naslund and Morrison to free up space (the obvious option), or
-- Offer both extensions to age 36 (retirement contracts) that look like so:
Naslund: 5.5 / 4.75 / 4.0
Morrison: 3.0 / 3.0 / 2.6 / 2.6 / 2.2 / 2.2
At those kind of dollars the team keeps good players around at affordable rates and the team frees up cash for UFA's. If they don't take the deals then the Trade option is inevitable.. and a must.